NCJ Number
176318
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
The video observes an unusual parenting program at a Federal penitentiary.
Abstract
Prison inmates who candidly admit to being poor fathers meet with troubled teenagers who have been neglected, abused or abandoned by their own fathers. Dramatic role-playing by both groups brings to the surface their pain and anger and helps the bad fathers confront the roots of their own poor parenting. As the counseling sessions proceed, the men themselves are revealed as childhood victims of absent or abusive fathers. The men must allow themselves to reveal the anger of their own childhoods before they can sincerely apologize to their children--in writing and in person--and begin to gain the children's trust. A guide included with the video suggests questions viewers might discuss before watching the film, e.g., the definition of a "bad dad" and how children could be negatively affected by the irresponsible actions of their fathers. There is also a list of questions for discussion after viewing the film, many focusing on outcomes developed during the counseling sessions.